Subcompact Showdown: Chevy Sonic vs Kia Rio vs Toyota Prius

The subcompact segment, once the object of automotive scorn, is undergoing a renaissance in America. We took three cars from the new breed—the 2012 Toyota Prius c Four, 2012 Chevy Sonic LTZ, and 2012 Kia Rio SX—to California for a 500-mile test to find out which is best.

Subcompact Showdown: Chevy Sonic vs Kia Rio vs Toyota Prius

Subcompact Showdown: Chevy Sonic vs Kia Rio vs Toyota Prius

Subcompact cars were once the bottom feeders of the automotive world. Sure, they were fuel efficient, but they were also soulless vehicles built to a bean counter's budget without passion or pride. Then Honda changed all that when the Fit came to the U.S. in 2006. For the first time, a cheap car could be a very good one, too. Today the subcompact class is unrecognizable when compared to that of a decade ago. Showrooms are crowded with well-built, desirable small machines with distinctive personalities.

To show just how diverse the class has become, we rounded up three of the newest and most interesting small cars—the sophisticated Kia Rio SX (left), the spunky Chevrolet Sonic LTZ (center), and the efficient new Toyota Prius c hybrid (right). We spent three days with this trio in Southern California, crisscrossing the deserts, cityscapes, and mountains that surround Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. The distance: more than 500 miles. The goal: to draw out the strengths and weaknesses of each one.

Chevy Sonic LTZ: The Specs

Chevy Sonic LTZ: The Specs

Looking at this trio on paper, one might imagine that they perform similarly. They all cost about the same, use a MacPherson strut front and beam-axle rear suspension, and draw their power from four-cylinder engines. But climb behind the wheel and it becomes evident that these cars are shockingly different.

Base price/as tested: $17,235/$18,695

Forget everything you knew about the recently departed, Korean-built Chevy Aveo. Its replacement, the Sonic, is made in Detroit and stuffed with smart tech. Our Chevy Sonic LTZ packed a turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder and a six-speed manual. Only Chevy offers this sporty combination in a subcompact, and it's well worth the $700 option. The six-speed manual comes from the Chevrolet Cruze Eco, and it offers an overdrive sixth gear that really lets the revs drop to save fuel. At 70 mph, the engine spins right at 2000 rpm, so the EPA's rating of 40-mpg highway doesn't seem far-fetched if you drive the Sonic sanely.

This car provided the roomiest interior of the three, especially for rear-seat passengers. The tall rear doors and ceiling made it the easiest to climb into and out of. And behind that seat, the Sonic offers 19 cubic feet of luggage space, which is more than the Toyota or the Kia.